The government’s plenipotentiary for rural energy transformation, Janusz Kowalski, handed a letter to 158 agricultural organizations and trade unions concerning the parliamentary bill on energy prices, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Ministry announced on Saturday that the State Secretary, the Government’s Plenipotentiary for the Energy Transformation of Rural Areas, Janusz Kowalski, delivered a letter to 158 agricultural groups and unions about the parliamentary bill amending the Act on Support for Consumers of Rural Areas, electricity, gas, fuels and heat and related laws (Parliamentary Paper No. 72). The request accompanying the letter asked recipients to review the bill and share their opinions.
The main aim of the proposal is to keep the price freeze on energy, heat, and gas for end users in place through 2024.
The need to extend existing protections in line with the bill is widely acknowledged by energy consumers. However, extending these regulations should not be used as a pretext to push through broader changes that go beyond the core purpose of the law, Kowalski stated in the letter to the agricultural organizations.
The Secretary of State highlighted that the proposed measures could have unintended negative effects on agriculture and could reduce the quality of life for residents in rural areas.
Kowalski also attached the ministry’s official position on the main proposals within the rural areas bill.
Kowalski to Hennig-Kloska: a plea for reason
In a post on the X platform, Kowalski addressed Polish 2050 MP Paulina Hennig-Kloska, who advocates changes to wind farm regulations.
Your stance and insistence on adopting policies favorable to foreign wind farm developers could deepen social rifts and undermine public support for renewable energy in rural communities, Kowalski argued.
He urged a measured approach and warned against confrontations with the Polish countryside in favor of foreign interests. He called for a substantive debate conducted seriously, free from lobbyist contributions that primarily benefit foreign companies and not Polish ones.
He stressed that the government’s draft law extending protections for electricity, gas, and heat price freezes through 2024 would help Poles guard against next year’s cost increases while balancing household budgets, market energy prices, and the overall cost of the state-supported system.
KO and Poland 2050’s proposed changes
The amendment drafted by KO MPs, Polski 2050-TD, would freeze electricity, gas, and heat prices for households and sensitive sectors through the end of June 2024. It proposes maintaining current consumption caps and preserving protected groups. The justification notes that the funds to finance support for eligible customers would come from the COVID-19 Fund, drawn from the gas contribution to the Price Difference Payment Fund for 2022 and other sources as defined by applicable regulations. A source cited by energy news outlet HighVoltage.pl claims the whole operation would be funded by Orlen.
The energy price bill also includes changes to the Windmill Act of May 20, 2016, amended on March 9, 2023. The justification indicates that the amendments permit silent wind turbines to be placed a certain distance from buildings or national parks.
During a press briefing, KO club head Borys Budka announced that the amendment would clarify this distance, extending it beyond buildings and addressing noise concerns to ensure wind turbines operate in an ecologically responsible manner.
According to Sejm records, the first reading of the energy prices bill was scheduled for December 6 this year. The approved pace of discussion aimed to advance the proposal through parliamentary stages in the coming days while keeping in mind economic and social implications.
tkwl/PAP
READ ALSO:
— Expropriation of wind turbines. A criticism of the signer’s understanding of the project; questions about coalition alignment.
— Exclusive: a note on the windmill law; concerns from MPs about signing details.
Source: wPolityce